Lack of device scaling for general-purpose processors has motivated the need for hardware specialization in virtually every type of computing systems, ranging from mobile processors to desktops and datacenters. Accelerators that specialize hardware to particular algorithms or applications have become critical components of today’s computing platforms, improving the performance and energy efficiency of target applications. Over the past decade, such accelerators have come into focus through academic research and commercial products. Along with them, new architectures, design tools, and programming models and languages have helped make acceleration widespread and cost-effective.

This special issue of IEEE Micro will explore exciting academic and industrial research on all topics relating to hardware specialization. Such topics include, but are not limited to:

Workload characterization and benchmarks for application domains.

Hardware accelerator architectures and microarchitectures.

SoC architecture and prototype experiences with integration of specialized components.

Design productivity for specialized hardware.

Memory system design for specialized hardware.

System impact of accelerators including interconnect technology, bandwidth, and synchronization.

Programmability of specialized hardware.

Techniques to facilitate configurability or configurable hardware such as a CGRA.

System evaluation and analysis of specialized platforms such as CAPI, HARP, and TPU.

Emerging semiconductor technologies and their application in hardware specialization.

Submission Procedure:

Please see the Write for Us page and the general author guidelines for more information. Please submit electronically through ScholarOne Manuscripts, selecting this special-issue option.

Questions?

Contact the guest editors at mi6-2018@computer.org, or the EiC at lieven.eeckhout@ugent.be.